Rock Climbing Safety

Rock Climbing Safety

A growing sports activity
More than 100,000 recreational athletes in the U.S. have taken to rock climbing. The sport has evolved into an affordable, safe, and year-round activity, due largely to the population of indoor climbing gyms. There's no denying that climbing is a dangerous sport. The higher off the ground and the further from civilization you climb, the greater the risk becomes. Your safety depends on your skills and physical conditioning. Rock climbing involves a wall or rock face, rope and other aids, a belayer (a climber managing the rope), and a harness. Additional equipment includes shoes, a chalk bag, tight fitting clothing, and a helmet. Upper body strength, flexibility, and sheer determination are other requirements.

Injuries
Although falls and other accidents do occur, especially in outdoor climbing where safety measures are up to the outdoor enthusiast, they are rare. Overuse injuries are much more common. The most vulnerable areas include the hand, wrist and elbows. Stress rotational force at the fingertips and knuckle joints can cause rupture of tendons. The positions required manoeuvring up a rock face also call for one-armed holds, thus putting the shoulder at risk for rotator cuff tears or impingement situations. In addition, muscle strains in the lower extremity may result from reaching for toeholds with the legs and hips. As with any outdoor sport, it is best to unroll in a class to learn basis climbing and safety techniques.

Injury Preventionirst aid emergency preparedness safety tips
Proper conditioning and warm ups take care of potential sprains, strains and other such injuries. It's most important for new climbers, who are particularly at risk for overuse, to enter the sport gradually. The demands on the entire body, from head to toe and in between, challenge areas that may not be used regularly. Develop a routine that allows for stretching of the arms, neck, shoulders, back and legs. These stretches should be done after a five to ten minute warm period. Target the forearm and fingers by squeezing a worn-out tennis ball. Using rubber bands for resistance around the fingers is one more at-home exercise you can try. Basic push-ups and pull-ups to enhance upper body strength will go a long way toward helping you conquer a rock face. first aid emergency preparedness safety tips

Gear up first aid emergency preparedness safety tips
Taping between the finger joints, around wrists, fingers, and elbows can add support and protection for the tendons. Also, you can reduce skin abrasions by taping the back of the hands and wrists in a figure eight pattern for minimal restriction. Treat and prevent blisters by taping fingers and using chalk to keep fingers from drying and to reduce friction. Check your knots, harness buckle, belay, and rappel system frequently. It is crucial that you inspect your gear regularly and replace worn equipment immediately. Invest in a good pair of climbing shoes - the tops are generally leather that is only finished on the outside, and the soles are composed of a sticky rubber compound. Also, remember that wearing a helmet could save your life. first aid emergency preparedness safety tips

Prepare mentally
Mental preparation is a vital part of the rock climbing experience. Taking time before and after a climbing session to focus on relaxation can help with the mindset needed to achieve greater confidence and success. Recreational climbing can be exhilarating for the mind and body. Challenge yourself and your body, but be sure to proceed with tempered enthusiasm.
first aid emergency preparedness safety

Bouldering mat

A thick mat used to soften landings or to cover objects that would be hazardous in the event of a fall. They typically consist of a 2-6 inch thick foam section covered with a robust fabric covering. Many brands have integral handles and may easily fold into a reasonable dimension for carrying. Also known by the term crash pad or sketch pad.


Chalk


Gymnasts' chalk is a powder that improves grip by absorbing sweat. It is primarily magnesium carbonate but often with added magnesium sulfate which acts as a drying agent.

For environmental reasons, the use of chalk is controversial in some areas. In areas where rain is infrequent (or under overhangs on any cliff) bold and unsightly chalk marks can build up on popular routes. In places where rain is more common, the chalk residue can form thick deposits. As a result, chalk coloured to match various rock types and biodegradable alternatives are now becoming available.


Chalk bag
Chalk Bags with chalk ball

These are hand-sized fabric bags for holding climbers' chalk. They are usually attached to the back of a waist belt for easy access during a climb.

The powdered chalk may be loose in the bag, or, increasingly, a chalk sock, or chalk ball, is filled with the chalk and this is placed into the chalk bag. Chalk socks are pouches made from a porous material that allows some chalk dust to be excreted when squeezed or rubbed.


POF / Resin

POF or Resin is sometimes used in bouldering. It is principally used to increase friction between the climber's shoes and the rock by providing a slightly stickier surface. It is made of dried tree resin in the form of a powder, and is sometimes mixed with chalk. The powder is usually bound inside a cloth with suitable cord, forming a ball at one end and a free cloth at the other. The resin may then be applied by tapping the resin ball on the rock. Excess is removed by whipping the rock with the free cloth. It is considered cheating in many areas and its use frowned upon due to the build up it can leave on the rock.


Nut tool

A small, but vital, piece of equipment, also known as a nut key. It is made from a flat piece of sheet steel, about 20 cm long, with a hook at one end and the other end shaped into a handle. It is used to extract, from cracks in the rock, nuts which can not be extracted by hand, especially when the nut has supported a climber's weight or arrested a fall. It may need to be hammered (possibly using a stone) in order to shift a particularly stubborn nut. Some models also have a pair of hooks at the handle end, which can be used to pull the trigger of a deeply-seated camming device.


Rope bag

A bag with a tarp, specially designed for storing and protecting climbing rope, usually unfoldable to provide a flat piece of material to place the rope on. However, when conditions are very wet, a large plastic bag such as a garbage bag is often used.


Standards

There are two major standards bodies for certifying the safety and reliability of climbing equipment:
CEN (European Committee for Standardisation)
UIAA (International Federation of Mountaineering Associations)

Any products sold in Europe must, by law, be certified to the relevant standards. There is no such requirement in many other countries, although most manufacturers voluntarily follow UIAA or CEN standards.

Miscellaneous equipment

Helmet
A Petzel Elios climbing helmet designed for caving and mountaineering
See also: Helmet

An often disregarded item of safety equipment that has saved many climbers from serious injury or death. A helmet is a tough item of headwear that primarily protects the skull against impacts. In well-developed and popular climbing areas, these impacts are more commonly caused by falling objects (such as pebbles or climbing equipment) than by a falling climber hitting the rock or ground.

Depending upon the type of climbing being undertaken, helmets are more or less common. There are a number of valid reasons for a climber to choose not to wear a helmet, including concerns about weight, reduction in agility or added encumbrances. However, sometimes the reason can be just vanity. In a gym environment there is no discernible advantage to wearing a helmet but on multi-pitch adventure routes or ice climbing routes only the most foolhardy would not wear a helmet. Between these two extremes, a personal judgement call needs to be made.

Many climbers refer to helmets as brain buckets.


Tape

Medical tape is useful to both prevent and repair minor injuries. For example, tape is often used to fix flappers. Many climbers, who choose not to rest adequately, use tape to bind fingers or wrists to prevent recurring tendon problems. Tape is also highly desirable for protecting hands on climbing routes that consist mostly of repeated hand jamming.

"Tape" is also used to refer to nylon webbing.


Haul bag

A large and often unwieldy bag into which supplies and climbing equipment may be thrown. A rucksack or day pack often has a webbing haul loop on the top edge.

Haul bags are often affectionately known as "pigs" due to their unwieldy nature.
Gear sling

A gear sling is usually used by trad or big wall climbers for when they have too much gear to fit on the gear loops of their harnesses. The most simple forms are homemade slings of webbing, and the most elaborate forms have padding and two slings on each side.

Indoor training equipment

Indoor training equipment

Various items of equipment are employed during climbing-specific training.


Grip savers

A small device that can help in developing the antagonist muscles to those used while gripping by the hand. Use of such a device can prevent ligament injuries that are frequently experienced by climbers.


Fingerboards

An apparatus chiefly used for improving grip strength and practicing grip techniques. They generally consist of a variety of different-sized pockets and ridges that one may hang from, or upon which pull-ups can be performed. These are usually mounted above a doorway, or elsewhere with room to allow the user's body to hang freely. Also called hangboards.


Campus boards

A series of horizontal rungs attached to an overhanging surface that may be climbed up and down without the aid of the feet. When used properly, campus boards can improve finger strength and so-called "contact strength".


Specialist clothing

In the early days of climbing, many would have considered specialised clothing to be cheating. In fact, the first climbers considered an untucked shirt or unbuttoned sport jacket a sign of weakness. Several climbers even chose to climb bare foot, an act that modern climbers would find amazing. In the 80s and early 90s the trend was to wear tight brightly-colored clothes. The trend is to wear more loose clothes now.


Climbing shoes

Specifically designed foot wear worn for climbing. To increase the grip of the foot on a climbing wall or rock face due to friction, the shoe is covered with a vulcanized rubber layer. Usually, the shoes are only a few millimetres thick and have a very snug fit around the feet. Some have foam padding on the heel to make descents and rappels more comfortable.


Belay gloves
A Belay glove
Despite being shunned by the many climbers who claim that belay gloves reduce grip on and control over the rope, belay gloves are a useful aid for belaying on long climbs. In particular, when lowering a climber they remove the possibility of rope burn and the subsequent involuntary release of the rope.

Belay gloves are constructed from either leather or a synthetic substitute. They typically have heat resistant padding on the palm and fingers.

It is very important to use gloves if using a classic or body belay.

Tricams

Tricams

A Tricam is a passive or active device consisting of a shaped aluminium block attached to a length of tape (webbing). The block is shaped so that pulling on the tape makes it cam against the crack, gripping the rock tighter. It requires careful placement so that it does not loosen when not loaded. It is generally not as easy to place or remove as a SLCD but is much cheaper and lighter, and is the only thing that will work in some situations like quarry drill-holes and limestone pockets. The smaller sizes can work well in old piton scars. They can also be used Passively as nuts.

Spring loaded camming devices

Spring loaded camming devices

These consist of three or four cams mounted on a common axle or two adjacent axles, in such a way that pulling on the shaft connected to the axle forces the cams to spread further apart. The SLCD is used like a syringe, by pulling the cams via a "trigger" (a small handle) which forces them closer, inserting it into a crack or pocket in the rock, and then releasing the trigger. The springs make the cams expand and grip the rock face securely. A climbing rope may then be attached to the end of the stem via a sling and carabiner.

They are often referred to as cams or friends®.

Hexcentrics

Hexcentrics

Hexcentrics, usually called hexes, are a type of nut, a hollow eccentric hexagonal prism with tapered ends, usually threaded with tape. They are manufactured by several firms, with a range of sizes varying from about 10mm thick to 100mm wide. Sides may be straight or curved.

Protection devices

Protection devices

Protection devices, collectively known as rock protection or pro, provide the means to place temporary anchor points on the rock. These devices may be categorized as passive (nuts, Hexentrics, etc.) or active (SLCDs).
Typical nuts and a nut tool

Nuts

Nuts are manufactured in many different varieties. In their simplest form, they are just a small block of metal attached to a loop of cord or wire. The most popular styles are tapers and Hexentrics. They are sometimes referred to by the slang term, wires.

Nuts are used by simply wedging them into narrowing cracks in the rock, then giving them a tug to set them.
Black Diamond Hexcentrics

Ascenders

Ascenders

Ascenders are mechanical devices for ascending on a rope. They are also called Jumars, after a popular brand.

Jumars perform the same functionality as friction knots but are stronger, faster, safer and less effort is needed to use them. A Jumar employs a cam which allows the device to slide freely in one direction but tightly grip the rope when pulled on in the opposite direction. To prevent a jumar from accidentally coming off the rope, a locking carabiner is used. The Jumar is first attached to the climber's harness by a piece of webbing or sling, and then the Jumar is clipped onto the rope and locked. Two ascenders are normally used to climb a fixed rope. For climbing a fixed rope attached to snow anchors on a steep slope, only one Jumar is used as the other hand is used for holding the ice axe.

Rack

Rack

These consist of a 'U' shaped frame which is attached to the belayer's harness, onto which fit multiple bars. The rope is weaved through these bars to provide sufficient friction.

Figure eight

Figure eight

Sometimes just called "eight", this device is most commonly used as a descender, but may also be used as a belay device in the absence of more appropriate equipment.

It is an aluminium (or occasionally steel) "8" shaped device, but comes in several varieties. Its main advantage is efficient heat dissipation. A square eight, used in rescue applications, is better for rappelling than the traditional 8. Because of the "ears" or "wings" on the rescue 8, there is less chance of forming a girth hitch whilst rappelling very quickly.
A figure eight descender

Figure eights allow fast but controlled descent on a rope. They are easy to set up and are effective in dissipating the heat caused by friction but have a tendency to put a twist in the rope. Holding the brake hand off to the side twists the rope, whereas holding the brake hand straight down, parallel to the body, allows a controlled descent without twisting the rope. Because of the many bends it puts into the rope, an 8 descender can wear a rope quicker than a tube style belay/rappel device. Many sport climbers also avoid them because of the extra bulk an 8 puts on the rack. However, many ice climbers prefer to use the 8, because it is much easier to thread with stiff or frozen rope.

Rescue eight

A rescue eight is a variation of a figure eight, with "ears" or "wings" which prevent the rope from "locking up" or creating a girth hitch, thus stranding the rappeller on the rope. Rescue eights are frequently made of steel, rather than aluminum.

Rappel devices (Descenders)

Rappel devices (Descenders)

These devices are friction brakes which are designed for descending ropes. Many belay devices can be used as descenders, but there are descenders that are not practical for belaying, since it is too difficult to feed rope through.

Belay devices

Belay devices
ATC-XP on locking carabiner

These are mechanical friction brake devices used when belaying. They allow careful control of the belay rope. Their main purpose is to allow locking of the rope with minimal effort. Many types of belay devices exist, and some of these may additionally be used as descenders, for controlled descent on a rope, that is abseiling or rappeling.

There are passive camming devices and active camming devices. The difference is that passive camming devices rely on the brake hand and a carabiner to lock off the rope. Sticht plates and ATCs are examples of passive camming devices.

Active camming devices have a built-in mechanism that locks off the rope without the help of any other pieces of equipment. A GriGri is an example. The offset cam in the GriGri locks off the rope automatically to catch a falling climber, much like a seatbelt in a car locks off to hold a passenger securely. The GriGri fails at around 9 kN of force.

However, a GriGri, with its technology, often makes belayers become less vigilant. The GriGri is not a hands-free belay device. One mistake with the GriGri is reverse threading it. Reverse threading is to thread the GriGri the wrong way around, rendering the camming action useless. However, in a fall, with a reverse threaded GriGri, bending the rope sharply under the GriGri provides more than enough friction to hold a falling climber.

An example of traditional belay is the Body Belay or the Hip Belay, where the rope is wrapped around the body to provide enough friction to catch a climber. This is often used in Alpine climbing, where the routes are easy, and the belay must be fast.

Ice climbers often use a boot belay, where the rope is wrapped around one boot, thus providing friction.

Harnesses

Harnesses

A harness is used for attaching a rope to a person. The majority of harnesses used in climbing are worn around the pelvis, although other types may be seen occasionally, such as chest and full body versions.

Different types of climbing warrant particular features for harnesses. Sport climbers typically use minimalistic harnesses, some with sewn-on gear loops. Alpine climbers will choose lightweight harnesses, perhaps with detachable leg loops. Big wall climbers prefer lots of padding. There are also full body harnesses for children, whose pelvis bones are not wide enough to be safely held inverted by a sit harness. Some climbers use full body harnesses when there is a chance of inverting, or when carrying a heavy bag. There are also chest harnesses, which are used only in combination with a sit harness; this combination provides the same advantages as a full body harness. However, test results from UIAA show that chest harnesses can put more impact on the neck than sit harnesses, making them slightly more dangerous to use.

Apart from these harnesses, there are also caving and canyoning harnesses, which all serve different purposes. For example, a caving harness is made of tough waterproof and unpadded material, with dual attatchment points. Releasing the carabiner from these attatchment points would loosen the harness quickly.

Canyoning harnesses are somewhat like climbing harnesses, often without the padding, but with a seat protector, making it more comfortable to rappel. These usually have a single attatchment point of Dyneema.

Quickdraws

Quickdraws


Quickdraws (referred to as draws by many climbers) are used by climbers to attach ropes to bolt anchors or protection. They allow the rope to run through with minimal friction. Quickdraws usually consist of two non-locking carabiners connected by a short, pre-sewn loop of webbing. They come in varying lengths, and some even come as extendable slings. DMM makes a wire-gate carabiner with a pulley built in on the end to reduce rope drag on the end of a quickdraw.

Carabiners

Carabiners


Carabiners are metal loops with spring-loaded gates (openings), used as connectors. Almost all carabiners for recreational climbing are made from aluminum alloy.

Carabiners exist in various forms; the shape of the carabiner and the type of gate varies according to the use for which it is intended. There are two major varieties: locking and non-locking carabiners. Locking carabiners offer a method of preventing the gate from opening when in use. Locking carabiners are used for important connections, such as at the anchor point or a belay device. There are four different types of locking carabiners, including a twist-lock and a thread-lock. Non-locking carabiners are commonly found as a component of quickdraws.

Carabiners are made with many different types of gates including wire-gate, bent-gate, and straight-gate. The different gates have different strengths and uses. Most locking carabiners utilize a straight-gate. Bent-gate and wire-gate carabiners are usually found on the rope-end of quickdraws, as they facilitate easier rope clipping than a straight gate. Wire gates are also lighter then other forms and are less likely to vibrate open (referred to as "gate chatter" when caused by striking a rock or swinging while suspended).

Carabiners are also known by many slang names including crab (seldom used) and biner (pronounced beaner).

Steel krabs are normally used by instructors when working with groups as the are harder wearing then aluninum alloy, but are much heavier.

Climbing equipment

Rope, cord and webbingRope and Webbing

Climbing ropes typically consist of a core (kern) of long twisted fibres and an outer sheath (mantle) of woven coloured fibres (hence the term kernmantle construction). The core provides about 80% of the tensile strength, while the sheath is a durable layer that protects the core and gives the rope desirable handling characteristics. The ropes used for climbing can be divided into two classes: dynamic ropes and static ropes. Dynamic ropes have a certain amount of elasticity and are usually used as belay ropes. When a climber falls, the rope stretches, reducing the maximum force experienced by both the climber and his equipment. Static ropes are much less elastic, and are usually used in anchoring systems. They are also used for abseiling (rappeling) as they reduce bounciness and make it easier for a person to descend.

Webbing is flat rope: it has no core. It is a versatile component of climbing equipment. Modern webbing is often made from nylon, and is quite strong—one-inch (25-mm) tubular climb-spec nylon webbing has a tensile strength of about 20 kN (4000 pounds)[1]. Webbing is usually tied (using a water knot or beer knot) or sewn into a loop and is then known as a runner or sling.

Runners have many uses, including anchor extension or equalisation, makeshift harnesses, carrying equipment and as a component of quickdraws.

Most beginning climbers do not invest in a climbing rope until they've had a few chances to see if they like the sport. Climbers who only climb at a climbing gym may not buy their own ropes, as most gyms have set routes and supply the ropes at each climbing station.

Climbing in popular culture

Climbing in popular culture

Climbing has been featured in many popular movies, such as Cliffhanger and Mission: Impossible II, but is usually inaccurately portrayed by Hollywood movies and popular media. Exceptions include the films The Eiger Sanction and Touching the Void. The sport of rock climbing was swept up in the extreme sport craze in the late 1990s which led to images of rock climbers on everything from anti-perspirant and United States Marine Corps commercials, to college promotional materials. Both pole and rope climbing can be seen in circus performances, such as Cirque du Soleil. The sport of rope climbing was once an official gymnastic event in the Olympic Games, but was dropped after 1932. The Czech republic and France have resurrected it and contests are held in public gathering places, such as shopping centers, as well as in gymnasiums. Pole and mast climbing were popular in the 18th and 19th century in village festivals in certain parts of Europe, and were still part of the physical education curriculum at the United States Naval Academy in the 1960s.

Any kind of climbing

Ice climbing: Ascending ice or hard snow formations using special equipment designed for the purpose, usually ice axes and crampons. Protective equipment is similar to rock climbing, although protective devices are different (ice screws, snow wedges).
Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small outcrops, often with climbing shoes and a chalk bag or bucket. Usually, instead of using a safety rope from above, injury is avoided using a crash pad (a combination of high and low density foam, within a heavy duty fabric structure, often transported on the back) and a human spotter (to direct a falling climber on to the pad).
Buildering: Climbing urban structures - usually without equipment - avoiding normal means of ascent like stairs and elevators. Aspects of buildering can be seen in the art of movement known as Parkour.
Tree climbing: Ascending trees without harming them, using ropes and other equipment. This is a less competitive activity than rock climbing.
Rope climbing: Climbing a short, thick rope for speed. Not to be confused with roped climbing, as in rock or ice climbing.
Pole climbing (gymnastic): Climbing poles and masts without equipment.
Pole climbing (lumberjack): Lumberjack tree-trimming and competitive tree-trunk or pole climbing for speed using spikes and belts.

Rock, ice, and tree climbing all usually use ropes for safety or for aid. Pole climbing and rope climbing were among the first exercises to be included in the origins of modern gymnastics in the late 18th century and early 19th century.

Climbing Definition

Climbing

For other uses, see Climbing (disambiguation).
Rock climbers on Valkyrie at The Roaches in Staffordshire, England.
A competitor in a rope climbing event, at Lyon's Part-Dieu shopping centre.

Climbing is the activity of using one's hands or feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation (to reach an inaccessible place, or for its own enjoyment) and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.

Climbing activities include:
Mountain climbing (Mountaineering): Ascending mountains for sport or recreation. It often involves rock and/or ice climbing.
Rock climbing: Ascending rock formations, often using climbing shoes and a chalk bag. Equipment such as ropes, bolts, nuts, hexes and camming devices are normally employed, either as a safeguard or for artificial aid.